chocolate cake
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan.
- In large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.
- Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack. Fill and frost as desired.
frog cake
- 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
- 1 (16 ounce) can prepared vanilla frosting
- 6 drops green food coloring, or as needed
- 1/4 cup green decorator sugar
- 12 large marshmallows
- 48 semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 drop red food coloring
- Bake cupcakes according to the directions on the package. Allow them to cool completely.
- Scoop 2/3 of the frosting into a small bowl and mix with green food coloring. Frost the cupcakes. Sprinkle some of the green sugar over the tops.
- Cut the marshmallows in half to make two circles. Dip half of each marshmallow piece into water and dip into the green sugar to make the eyelids. The remaining white will be the eyes. Place on the cupcakes. Use a little bit of white icing to glue a chocolate chip into the center of each eye for the pupil.
- Mix the remaining frosting with red food coloring to make pink. Use the pink icing to draw smiling mouths and nostrils or even tongues on the frogs.
graduation
- 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 12 graham crackers
- 1 (16 ounce) container white buttercream frosting
- 1 drop food coloring in school colors, or as desired
- 6 chewy lemon candy squares (such as Starburst®), or as needed
- 24 candy-coated milk chocolate pieces (such as M&M's®) in school colors
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Line 24 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners in school colors.
- Place white cake mix into a large mixing bowl and beat in water, eggs, and vegetable oil with an electric mixer on low speed just until moistened. Turn mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
- Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full.
- Bake cupcakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.
- Cool cupcakes thoroughly. Place cupcakes on a platter with the bottom sides facing up.
- To decorate the cupcakes, break graham crackers in half to make 24 2 1/2-inch squares. Place a dab of frosting centered on bottom of each cupcake and stick a square to the frosting to form mortarboard part of a graduation cap.
- Place the opened container of frosting into a microwave oven and heat until the frosting is warmed, soft, and workable, about 10 seconds. Frosting should be smooth but not runny. Color the frosting to your desired shade with food coloring.
- Frost the top and sides of the graham cracker squares.
- Unwrap lemon candies and place 2 candies onto a piece of waxed paper. Microwave the candies until warm and soft, 5 seconds or as needed.
- Roll out the candies on waxed paper to make thin squares of candy. Using a sharp knife or small scissors, cut small tassel shapes from each square. When the tassels are made, set them aside and microwave 2 more candies; repeat steps until you have made 24 small candy tassels.
- Place a tassel in the center of each graham cracker square. The tassel should hang slightly over the edge of the square.
- Dip marked side of a candy-coated chocolate piece into frosting and place the piece onto the center of the graham cracker square, frosted side up, to cover the end of the candy tassel string.
- Refrigerate decorated cupcakes to set the frosting. Store covered